


Destiny

by ThereIsNoTragedyInThat



Series: What Once Was [5]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Cuddling & Snuggling, Ficlet, Just a soft moment, Light Angst, M/M, One Shot, Protective Arthur, Short & Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:27:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27534499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThereIsNoTragedyInThat/pseuds/ThereIsNoTragedyInThat
Summary: Merlin and Arthur share a quiet night in.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: What Once Was [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1915285
Comments: 7
Kudos: 116





	Destiny

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: You are beautiful.

The fire crackled softly in the hearth, its warmth seeping into Arthur’s bedroom and creating a cozy atmosphere that had Merlin closing his eyes and curling further into the soft sheets of the bed. Outside, frost had begun to cling to the stone and earth, promising a cold and unforgiving winter. There were many preparations to make, the food stores rapidly filling with the years harvest and being carefully distributed to the outlying territories that did not produce enough to feed themselves.

Sighing, Merlin forced his eyes to open once again, hearing the scratch of Arthur’s pen come to stop. He had been signing decrees for the better part of the day, strategizing and researching for his first winter as king and Merlin was loathed to point out that there were weeks yet until the snow came to stay, knowing it would do nothing to sooth the other man’s fears.

When he glanced over at him it was to find Arthur leaning back in his chair, exhaustion marring his expression, yet his eyes, his eyes were fixed on Merlin, watching. Blinking, he raised an eyebrow at him, “what are you looking at?”

“You,” Arthur replied easily.

“I got that thanks. Are you done?”

Arthur smirked, “with the looking or with my work?”

“Your work.”

“Nearly.”

Merlin frowned, hands curling in the thick comforter thrown haphazardly over him, before nuzzling deeper into its warmth, pretending it was that of another body against him. Arthur narrowed his eyes, hands flexing where they rested against the armrest. He didn’t exactly mean to tease him, certainly not after he had been working all day without respite but he was more then happy to make him rush through the rest of those blasted documents.

“That’s too bad,” he murmured. “The bed is very comfortable.”

“Merlin.”

“I suppose I should sleep if you won’t.”

“Merlin.”

“All by myself.”

He let his eyes drift closed just as the screech of the chair against the stone stung his ears. Lips twitching, Merlin let himself sink deeper into the blankets, body going completely lax and decidedly unresponsive as footsteps drew closer.

A moment later, familiar fingers scratched along his scalp, followed by a calloused hand smoothing over his head, “you are a menace Merlin.”

“I know,” he replied cheekily, eyes still closed. “That’s why you love me.”

Arthur chuckled and Merlin felt his hair being brushed back from his face, felt those clever fingers tracing the line of his jaw, the curve of his cheek, the hollow of his eyes, the shape of his nose and on and on, like he could memorize his face from touch alone. The air shifted and Merlin struggled to keep his features smooth as Arthur spoke, voice coming out a little unsteady, “You are beautiful Merlin.”

Sometimes he said things that were so abrupt and sincere that they made Merlin’s heart skip, sent a tingle down his spine, and made his stomach twist with the gravity of emotion he felt for the other man. It used to scare him, loving Arthur so much when their destiny sat in the balance, looming over them with its severity.

Not anymore.

Reaching up, he snagged Arthur’s hand with one of his own, “I don’t believe one word you say unless it is spoken into my ear beneath these covers.”

Arthur huffed, “I’m nearly done-”

“You are done,” Merlin insisted. “Come to bed.”

“Really Merlin-”

Tugging on his hand, Merlin opened his eyes and let Arthur see them flash golden. He did not recite any spells, did nothing more then let his magic rise from inside him and thrum across the surface of his skin. Arthur felt it where their hands touched, could tell from the stillness that overtook him, the intensity of his gaze as he stared at Merlin like he was something precious and miraculous.

It was still overwhelming to see something other then hatred there, after the long nights and days of fear he’d suffered under in the early years. There was no trace of that now, even knowing it was not yet safe for his magic to be revealed to Camelot. He was barely tolerated as Arthur’s consort, let alone if the advisors found out he had magic.

It was a work in progress.

Arthur let out a quiet sigh and squeezed his hand before releasing him. Merlin let a smirk stretch across his lips at the sight, as the other man stripped off his shirt and pants, clearly having given up completely on getting any more work done.

Without another word, Arthur circled the bed and slipped beneath the covers, sliding close until his chest was pressed snugly against Merlin’s back. Just as they had done a thousand times before, Arthur settled one arm around Merlin’s waist and waited patiently for their hands meet and their fingers to curl together in a firm hold that would make it impossible for the other to slip away without waking them both.

Merlin snuggled back, felt Arthur settle at the top of his spine as tension slowly seeped from his body. Here he was not a king or an heir, the responsibilities of Camelot did not rest quite so heavily on his shoulders and destiny not so cruelly on his own.

No, here in this bed, Merlin was just a man, nothing extraordinary about him, lying in the embrace of another, unremarkable man. Their love was a small thing not there to be scrutinized by advisors and people of the land, it was for them and them alone. Their lives, when wrapped in each other’s arms, were not irreversibly tangled by fate but by their commitment to one another.

It was a nice thought, one he and Arthur indulged in when they could. Pretending was nice, so long as when morning came, they still had the fight in their chests, the steadiness in their spines, and the determination in their voices to craft together a better Camelot, a better world.

Yes…there was still much work to do.


End file.
